7 Biggest Trends Spotted at the 2017 ABC Kids Expo

The ABC Kids Expo, held this past week in Las Vegas, gave editors a look at the newest gear hitting the shelves of the baby store near you in 2018. In addition to lots of adorable onesies, stuffed animals and toys, the expo let us see the trends popping up around nursery furniture, car seats, strollers, babywearing and more. Here are some of the biggest trends we saw this year, from the newest crib and furniture designs to how diaper bags are evolving to be better than ever.

Modern Crib Accents Your baby's crib is the centerpiece of the nursery, so it's no wonder companies are going above and beyond to design cooler cribs that really make a statement. They're mixing metallic finishes and acrylic in a traditional shape, like this cool crib we shared on our Twitter page, or going completely out of the box, like this wood and acrylic Ubabub crib that looks like something straight out of the Jetsons. DaVinci is even giving their popular Jenny Lind crib an update with fun colors, like emerald and coral.

Diaper Bags with ALL the PocketsAnyone who has ever carried a diaper bag (or even just a purse) knows that pockets as essential to staying organized on-the-go. Brands know how important those pockets are to new moms and dads, so many of the diaper bags being released in 2018 feature more pockets than you can imagine, and with new technology to make mom’s life even easier. One of our favorites, the Baby K’Tan Diaper Bag, features an anti-microbial, waterproof pocket that keeps germs and smells far away from the rest of your diaper bag, no matter what you toss in it, plus a pocket that fits a laptop up to 14".

Backpack Diaper BagsTired of carrying around your diaper bag on one shoulder while you try to hold baby on the other arm? Diaper bag companies hear ya, and they’re releasing a ton of stylish backpack-style diaper bags to solve that problem for you. Some brands are updating their current line to switch from a messenger style to a backpack and vice versa, so you can choose the easiest way to carry your bag day-to-day. Petunia Picklebottom’s Inter-mix Backpack line pairs backpack style diaper bags with a removable caddy-style insert that clips onto your stroller, so you can instantly access all of your essentials even when you're walking around with baby.

Minicribs, Galore!Now that the AAP recommends parents room share with their babies for at least 6 months, and ideally until baby is 1 year old, parents are thinking about keeping their crib in their bedroom for longer than their LO will fit in a bassinet. To keep parents' bedrooms from getting too crowded with a full-size crib, more brands are coming out with mincribs that baby can fit in throughout his or her first year without taking up precious space in their parents’ room. Companies are even launching mini portable cribs and pack 'n plays in 2018 to make traveling with baby even easier as well.

New and Improved Baby CarriersAs more parents give baby carrying a try, companies are designing unique carriers that seek to make some part of baby carrying easier for parents. Unlike most soft-structured carriers, Sakura Bloom’s newest option doesn’t have a waist belt, giving parents more freedom of movement when they’re wearing older babies. The mom behind the GoGoVie told us about how being a busy mom of 17 kids lead her to create a carrier that allows for an entirely unique cradle hold so moms can breastfeed on-the-go. And the Lollie Wrap provides a shortcut to the usual wrap-style carrier that cuts out complicated wrapping behind your back, so you can get your baby in and out of the carrier that much faster.

Strollers That Grow With Your FamilyFirst-time parents might not be thinking ahead to future baby plans months when they're registering for their first stroller, but stroller companies are! More and more strollers allow parents to seamlessly transition from a stroller for one to a stroller for two (and sometimes even three). That way, parents don't have to buy an entirely new stroller if they decide to have a new baby before their oldest is ready to walk everywhere — they can just buy an extra attachment for the stroller they have and everyone is ready to go. Many of these strollers will be hitting the streets in 2018, so keep an eye out for them in the coming months!

Magnetic Closures Replacing Velcro It's every parent's nightmare: You're on a walk with baby, and want to catch a peek through your stroller's canopy window to see if your LO is sound asleep. Unfortunately, the second you rip that all-of-a-sudden-super-loud Velcro open, baby's up and at 'em, and you're wishing there was an easier way to check on baby. Well, stroller companies heard your frustrated sighs. Britax's upcoming B-Free stroller offers an easy magnetic closure on it's canopy, so when you're trying to sneak a look at your baby without him or her noticing, you can so so quickly and silently. Other companies are also transitioning to magnetic closures, so be sure to look for this feature if you're registering for a new stroller next year.